Holder for watch movements



April 20, 1954 H. F. FLEMlNG 2,675,722

HOLDER FOR WATCH MOVEMENTSv Filed July l1, 1952 Patented Apr. 20, 1954UNITED STATES EXTENT OFFICE y HOLDER Fon WATCH MovEMENTs Henry F.rFleming, Panama, City, Fla.

Application July 11, 1952, serial No. 298,254 2 claims. (o1. s1s

This invention relates to a device adapted to hold a watch movementwhile the watch move'- ment is being repaired and adjusted.

While a watch is entrusted to a watch repairman, it is extremelyimportant that the movement of the watch be protected fromdust and lint.In this connection, it is customary to place the watch movements on awatch timing machine, for substantial periods of time. While themovement is being held by the timing machine, it is enclosed within itsown case, to pro tect the movement against the entry of dust or lint. f

Periodically, it is necessary to take the watch from its position on thewatch timing machine, and remove it from its case, so as to make neces'-sary repairs or adjustments'l for time found necessary by observation ofthe watch timing machine. Thereafter, the watch is returned to its caseand again placed in the holder of the watch timing machine.

It will be apparent that the continual removal of the movement from itscase, and return of the movement to the case, during this period, istime consuming and inconvenient to the watch maker or watch repairman.Additionally, even at times when a watch movement is not supported bythe watch timing machine, and is being repaired on the bench, it isquite general for the watch maker to be interrupted many times duringhis work. Obviously, when the absences of the watch maker from his benchare of long duration, dust and lint can enter the watch movement beingworked upon.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a novellydesigned holder for a watch movement, which will be adapted toprotectively enclose the watch movementagainst the entry of dust andlint while vthe movement is supported by awatch timing machine, theholder being so formed as to be swiftly opened or closed as the case maybe, when it is desired to make adjustments of the watch and then returnthe watch to thetiming machine. portant object of the present inventionto provide a holder of the type stated which is adapted to support thewatch movement while it is being worked upon at a bench, so that thewatch moven ment can be easily covered protectively whenever it isnecessary for the worker to absent himself from the bench.

Another object of importance is to provide a holder of the characterreferred to vwhich will include a hollow, closed body having a removablecover, which cover can'be applied to or removed from the body withmaximum speed-and ease,.in

It is also an im-v 2 far less time than is necessary to remove the watchfrom its own case or recase the watch,

Still another object ofA importance is to provide a protectiveholdervforY watch movements having means therein to support any one of alarge number of watchmovements varying in size or shape from oneanother.

Yet another object is to provide a holder of the character stated whichwill have its watch support means so arranged therein as to convenientlydispose the watch for the making of necessary repairs or adjustments.

A still further object of importance is to provide a holder as statedwherein adjustable jaws will be included in they watch support means,with said jaws'being novelly designed in a manner to clampingly engagetherebetween the supported lwatch movement, regardless of theparticular-conguration, thickness, or length of said movement. f f

l' Other objects ywill appear from the following description, the claimsappended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views, andwherein:

Figure 1 isa top' plan View of a holder formed in accordance with thep-resent invention, a portion of said holder being shown inl section;

Figure 2 isv a section taken diametrically through the holder on line2--2 of Figure 1, a supported watch movement being illustrated in dottedlines; and A Figure 3 is a detail sectional View taken on line 3 3 ofFigure A2, showing the construction of one of the jaws.

' The illustrated holder comprises two main' components or assemblies,these being a housing or hollow body designated generally by the ref--erence numeral Ii), fand a watch movement support assembly-designatedgenerally by the reference numeral l2 and having its major portionsupported vwithin the body.

The housing .I B is, in turn,rformed in two parts,

screw 32 extending diametrically of and within the receptacle, andhaving a short, reduced axial extension 34 at its other endrotatably'mounted'-- in an opening 35 formed in the flange I6 at alocation diametrically opposite the'fbrefwl The extension of thescrewufprojects QuE-,1, Y

wardly beyond the flange I6 of the receptacle,

and is xedly engaged in a complementarysocketV formed in the inner endbf the shank of a knurled hand knob 33 used for rotatingf'the'screw` 32;

Threadedly engaged "with the; 'screwf' 32'; within the receptacle,-isla" movable jaw 43- constituting a follower, said-n-rova'b'lev jaw`be'ingjof plate-like formation; and having aVC boss f 42' integrallyformed thereon, saidafbossv being formed-witha threaded opening 44engaging the fthreadsy of the'screw'SZ. w 1r v- Asl willv bevnotedffrom-lvigure 3, the plate-like movable jaw- @hasta-straight bottomedge-45 slidablefon the hat bottom'wall.` Ie-ofthe` receptacle, thisarrangemerrtbeing adaptedtoiprevent rotation of the movable-jawwiththescrew The top'edg-e of-'vthe jaw 60' has,- intermediate the oppositesideedgesor the'jaw', a recess 46, and formedv` upon the jaw vatopposite: endsof said recess arelaterallyrprojected lips 48, said lipsvbeing-disposed adjacent-fand inwardly of upstanding projections 50, thatare located-at 11:

the side-edges ofthe-jaw. v As-willbenoted-from Figure 2^,v theupstandingprojections 513 have inclinedinner surfaces 52,.l andas `willlbe noted from` Figure, said `projections ll have inclined f1 f1Shouldan interruption, occur, heneed only posiside surfaces 54. l l,

It has been found-theta jawj having its upper end portionformedwithlthe-recess; lips, and projections describedV -above visparticularly adapted toy engage securelyone end of a watch movement,regardless y ofthe-particular width, length, thickness,or shapefof-.saidmovement.

A stationary jaw 56 is also of plate-like formation, said stationary jawhaving, at its lowerend, a boss 58 formed' with a smooth walled openingSil receiving the screw 32. Integral withthe boss 5S vare diametrically`opposed-*arcuate `ears f 62 (Figure l), that extend-along the inner``sur,- face of they angeV l andare iixedly secured t said flangebyscrews G4 or equivalent fastening elements inv a manner to hold `thexed'- jaw-.5B in place and prevent its rotationlwith the screw 32, whilereinforcing thearea ofthe flange I aroundthebushing 25. n Y w '.Atl itsupper end, the, stationary jaw 55 is formed identically but opposite tothe. movable jaw 40, and has a recessl S5 flanked atopposite endsthereof by laterally projected lips 68 vei:- tending toward the movablejaw 40. vThe lips 68 are-disposed adjacent and inwardly 'of upstandingprojections 'IG analogous to the projections 5l) of the movable jaw. l A

The formation and relative arrangement of the jaws are .such astoper'mit the jaws to clampingly engage therebetween a .watch movementdesignated generally by .the referencenumeral T2. In this connecti'omit.is tube noted that the 4 jaws are so proportioned as to support saidwatch movement centrally within the hollow housing, in spaced relationto the top and bottom walls of the housing, and in spaced relation,also, to the side wall of the housing. Thus, the minute hand 14, hourhand and sweep second hand 'I8 are spaced a substantial distance abovethe screwu372, sowthat thereuwill bel nol possibility of damage 'tofathewatch mvexnentw'hile the same is ver'igagedby` and betv'feentlfieViixe'd and mov- ,ablejaws It is also to be noted that by rotation ofthe handdinobjpthe movable jaw can be adjusted toward'and away from thelixed jaw, thus to YVVVVaecormn'iadatefthe jaws to Watch movements ofdiiereptleneths..

" The" construction which I have devised is such -a'sffto'ipermit thewatch movement to be readily supported within thefholder constitutingthe presentinvention, after which theV entire .holder andi .f Watch.-,movernen-t. can be positioned... upon a watch timingpmachnepwiththe.jaws of rvsaid machineengaging the housing-at the top-and bottom..thereon Thus,l the; watch movement is supported .upon :thetimingmachine., not shown, and:I while .being..so,-supportedwill beprotected against.,V the entryof, lin-t .or.dust. Atanytime whenI arepair or adjustmentis to-be made, .it is merely. necessary -that i theholder and., the! sup.- ported: movement ,beremovedirom 'the 'watchtiming'. machine. afterfwhghiihv uses remates the cover 23 and makes thenecessary repairs or adjustments. while.. the. movementjs. .stillclampingly.. engaged ..between, the jaws.y ofi. the holder. The pover..is .then returnedfl tOfits .reccpf tacleclosing position* and; .the.,holder. .and .the supported movementarelreturned to. thetimingmachine.- f-

Additionally, .the device is adaptedA .to support a watch movementvvhileit, is, f b'eing.repaired on. a.- desleor bench. In, ,this.instancafthe Ywatch maker makes` thev necessary repairs. while. theWatch movement-is. Cla-mined between the jaws.

tionstheA cover upon the receptacle until such. time as ,the repairvwork. is. taken; .up .once again... i y

vThe advantages of theinventionmayfnow be readily noted, itbeingapparentthat a device formedI as.,l illustrated and.. `describedeliminates the necess ity Lof.; removing a Watch movement fromits.asso.cviated,c`ase, or reeasingthe move.-

ment,. exeeptwhen the. repairs are begun and' ended. Throughout the ,ytimethat the movementzisintheshop, there is no necessity ofrecasingthesame. ItMisalso -beleved-togbefof importance that the devicemakes itunnecessary. to haveY a separate coveronV a desk or bench, sincethe worker needonly replace ".-ithe-'r4 removable cover v243' `onthelreceptacle wheni'work is lbeing temporarily halted@ l a; i V.

'It is'believed'clear thatftheginvention isnot necessarily'conined tothe specific use or uses thereof de'scribedabove, sincey it may beutilized for 'any purpose to, which 'a may be suited; Nor is the;invention to .be necessarily limited .tothe specific A construction`illustratedand described, since such constructionis only intended ltogheillustrative of the principles.olil operation and the means presently.devised to carry. out said principles, it beingconsidered thattheinvention comprehends: any minor .change in construction that may hespermitted within the .scope of rvthe. appended:c1a1im.s. f y

What is being claimed is:

1. In a watch movement holder, a support having a bottom wall, fixedfirst and second flange portions on and opstanding from said bottom Walland spaced from each other across said bottom wall, said iiange portionsbeing provided with axially aligned openings, a bushing having a borefixed in an opening formed in said first flange portion, a screwextending between said first and second flange portions, said screwhaving reduced axial extensions on its opposite ends defining shoulders,the axial extension on one end of the screw being journalled in anopening formed in said second flange portion with the related shoulderengaged with said second flange portion, the other end of the screwextending lthrough the bore of said bushing, a jaw attached to saidfirst mentioned flange portion, a movable jaw threaded on said screw,said movable jaw having a portion bearing non-rotatably against saidbottom wall, and rotating means on one of said axial extensions forrotating the screw in opposite directions.

2. In a watch movement holder, a support having a bottom wall, fixedfirst and second ange portions on and opstanding from said bottom Walland spaced from each other across said bottom wall, said flange portionsbeing provided with axially aligned openings, a bushing having a borexed in an opening formed in said rst flange portion, a screw extendingbetween said first and second flange portions, said screw having reducedaxial extensions on its opposite ends defining shoulders, the axialextension on one end of the screw being journalled in an opening formedin said second flange portion with the related shoulder engaged withsaid second flange portion, the other end of the screw extending throughthe bore of said bushing, a jaw attached to said first mentioned flangeportion, a movable jaw threaded on said screw, said movable jaw having aportion bearing non-rotatably against said bottom wall, and rotatingmeans on one of said axial extensions for rotating the screw in oppositedirections, said last mentioned axial extension extending beyond saidbushing, and

said rotating means comprising a knob secured on said last mentionedaxial extension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,003,132 Buckingham Sept. 12, 1911 2,261,055 Dulaney Oct. 28,1941 2,333,114 Meyer Nov. 2, 1943 2,366,519 Greenberg Jan. 2, 19452,618,967 Kennedy Nov. 25, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date109,336 Switzerland Apr. 1, 1924 231,736 Switzerland July 1, 1944

